Popcorn isn't just low in calories and high in fiber. Turns out the popular snack is chock full of antioxidants, too.

Per serving, plain popcorn contains nearly twice as many polyphenols as the average fruit, according to the preliminary results of a laboratory analysis presented today at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Polyphenols, a type of plant-based chemical found in foods ranging from vegetables to chocolate, help neutralize the harmful substances known as free radicals and are thought to protect against heart disease and other health problems.Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart

"Nobody had paid much attention to popcorn as a source of anything other than fiber," says lead researcher Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, which funded the study. "Popcorn has more antioxidants in total than other snack foods that you can consume, and it also has quite a bit of fiber."

Vinson and his colleagues analyzed four brands of commercially available popcorn. After grinding kernels (both popped and unpopped) into a fine powder, they separated out the polyphenols by adding a pair of solvents - a process that roughly mimics what happens in the stomach as food is digested, Vinson says.

A single serving of popcorn - about two tablespoons of unpopped kernels - contained up to 300 milligrams of polyphenols, the researchers found. By contrast, the average polyphenol content of fruit is about 160 milligrams per serving, while a single serving of sweet corn contains 114 milligrams.

Some types of polyphenols are pigments, and in fruit the biggest concentrations tend to be found in the skin and seeds. Similarly, the hull or outer skin of the corn kernel - the stuff that gets stuck in your teeth when you're munching away - was the richest polyphenol source.

The findings don't mean that popcorn should replace apples and oranges in your diet, of course.

"Popcorn is no substitute for fruit," says Michael G. Coco, an undergraduate chemistry student at the university who participated in the study. "Fruits have other vitamins and minerals that popcorn does not contain."

However, the findings do suggest that popcorn is a healthy alternative to snacks such as chips and crackers. In addition to the polyphenols and low calorie content, popcorn is 100% whole grain, Vinson and Coco point out. Eating more whole grains has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

"This is great news in terms of getting other whole grains in your diet," says Carolyn Brown, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at FoodTrainers, in New York City. "We're always trying to diversify. Everyone's kind of stuck in this wheat rut."

But popcorn isn't always healthy, Brown adds. Movie-theater popcorn drenched in butter is the opposite of a health food, she says, and some microwave and pre-popped varieties contain artificial or less-than-healthy ingredients - such as partially hydrogenated oils - that shoppers should be mindful of.

"Not all popcorn is created equal, and you can get some nasty stuff in there, especially with the microwave popcorn."

The healthiest way to prepare popcorn is to use plain kernels in a stove-top popper (such as a Whirley Top) or air-popper, Brown says. Adding a little olive oil or butter is fine, she adds, and popcorn can also be jazzed up with a sprinkling of low- or no-calorie flavorings such as parmesan cheese or chili pepper.

The American Chemical Society is a professional organization for chemists and scientists. Unlike the research published in scientific journals, Vinson's findings have not been thoroughly vetted by other experts in the field.

What in our media isn't product placement these days...Our government has been over run by big business and most people just wake up every single day to go and be support zombies to the same mega corporations that have been poisoning us and destroying our planet for centuries. Yet we continue to contribute to the downward spiral, complain about it and do nothing to change anything since that might be uncomfortable. Almost makes me hope that the Mayan calendar is right.

Why? Measuring how many milligrams of polyphenols any given food contains is a straightforward measurement that is easy both to obtain and to duplicate. Are you seriously suggesting that they bodged the measurements, or didn't do them at all? Criticizing the source of funding is no criticism at all; if you want to challenge the results, challenge the facts.

SixDegrees, I think the thing that we're forgetting here is probably bio-availability. The study ground kernels down into a fine powder which is probably the most likely way to absorb it. When was the last time you used your teeth to grind a corn hull into a fine powder before swallowing it. As it stands, if most of the anti-oxidants are in the hull then they are getting excreted pretty much intact in our feces unless we develop a way to digest corn hulls.

I see the validity of this is being question, but for popcorn lovers, Quinn Popcorn has taken All the chemicals and additives out of their microwave popcorn and the popping bag. They ditched the plastic and hydrogenated oils and replaced them with a compostable paper and pure all natural ingredients. The kernels are organic, verified through the Non-GMO Project, as are the expeller pressed oils. You might want to try it!

Reality TV can make it seem very difficult by over-dramatizing the time and energy needed to make a saving for you and your family, i always use websites like "Official Samples" to find free products and coupons

Real popcorn isn't made in a microwave. It is SOOO much better made the old fashioned way and tastes a whole lot better. Come on America get off your lazy A$$ and stop opting for the easy way for everything.

Then please explain how the results in this study are incorrect from a scientific standpoint. Are you saying that the measurements presented are wrong? If so, why are they wrong, and what should they actually be?

Also, I highly doubt antioxidants are bioavailable in the hull. Sure, artificially grinding them up might liberate the polyphenols, but in reality they will remain trapped in the hull and exit via feces. This is absolute BS, and is about as logical as eating bacon and expecting to lower your cholesterol.

Great news! 🙂 I love popcorn, I agree with the comments above though, and it is certain that a bunch of salt or the dehydrated processed cheese is not good, it is also pretty low in calories which is a bonus, if you ate a half bag of the trader joes organic olive oil variety you would be eating a ThinDish for sure, definitely less than 600 cal.

well if this was a weaver sponsored study, so be it. the sad fact is that what this always boils down to is money. who else is going to pay for a study like this if not a popcorn company?? so frankly, i don't mind that it was "sponsored" by them. if you really want to know if the study has merit, read the details and fine print on how it was done, instead of poo pooing it right off the bat. i personally would love to see the study design!!!

You don't "fuss up" popcorn with wierd toppings just to avoid salt and butter.

The whole point of popcorn is comfort and enjoyment – popcorn is an inexpensive snack that fills you up and tastes wonderful and best with butter and salt. An all natural food with all natural traditional ingredients.

I am sick and tired of all the diet promoters taking every single regular normal whole food prepared normal ways that people have been eating for decades prepared with plain and simple ingredients, calling it "bad" because it has any fat and salt in it, and then trying to make people think if they take all the fat out, put in non-traditional, non-normal seasonings and cook it non-normal ways that now somehow that food is more "health." What nonsense.

Your blood sugar is going to rise after you eat pretty much all the time. If you eat popcorn, or any grain, in moderation, you'll be okay, particularly if you pair it with protein to regulate your sugars. Diabetics should avoid it, of course, just like they should avoid many foods that non-diabetics can eat with no problem, but someone with a functioning pancreas will be fine. Don't claim that grains are the devil when we have a huge list of cultures that subsisted almost solely on grain and legumes for thousands upon thousands of years.

Popcorn is packed with the weed killer, Roundup–courtesy of the Monsanto corporation. Both corn and soy are full
of roundup weed killer that is now actually a component of the corn kernels and soy beans.

Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I've truly enjoyed surfing around your weblog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I am hoping you write once more very soon!

Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was wondering your situation; we have
created some nice procedures and we are looking too trqde strategies with other folks, please shoot me an email if interested.

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.